Okumbi ataja kikosi cha Kenya cha kujiandaa Cecafa Under-20

Na GEOFFREY ANENE

KOCHA Stanley Okumbi ametaja kikosi cha Kenya kitakachojiandalia soka ya Afrika Mashariki na Kati (Cecafa Under-20) itakayofanyika nchini Uganda na kuvutia mataifa ya Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan na Sudan Kusini.

Katika kikosi chake cha wachezaji 44, Okumbi amejumuisha kiungo Richard Odada anayesakata miamba wa Serbia, Red Star Belgrade.

Odada pekee ndiye anacheza nje ya Kenya, huku wengi wa wachezaji wakiwa kutoka timu iliyobanduliwa na Rwanda nje ya mashindano ya kufuzu kushiriki Kombe la Afrika Under-20 mwezi Aprili mwaka 2018.

Baadhi ya majina makubwa ni beki Collins Shichenje (AFC Leopards), na kipa Brian Bwire (Kariobangi Sharks) na kiungo Musa Masika, ambao walikuwa katika timu ya taifa ya watu wazima iliyotajwa kwa majukumu ya kupepetana na Tanzania kwenye soka ya wachezaji wanaosakata katika mataifa yao almaarufu CHAN.

Masika alipata kuichezea Stars dhidi ya Tanzania iliyosonga mbele baada ya kulemea Kenya 4-1 katika mikwaju ya penalti majarani hawa walipotoka 0-0 nyumbani na ugenini katika muda wa kawaida.

Nao Boniface Mwangemi, Patrick Ngunyi, Alphonce Omija, Keith Imbali na Issa Lumumba walitumika katika mashindano ya UNAF Under-17 nchini Misri mwezi Aprili mwaka huu ambapo Kenya ilipoteza dhidi ya Misri (1-0), Algeria (5-1), Tanzania (3-2) na Morocco (2-0).

Timu ya Under-20 ya Kenya almaarufu Rising Stars, itaanza mazoezi Septemba 3 jijini Nairobi. Mashindano ya Cecafa U20 yatafanyika kutoka Septemba 14-28.

Kikosi cha mazoezi cha Kenya:

Makipa – Brian Bwire (Kariobangi Sharks), Kevin Ouru (Kakamega High), Issa Emoria (St Anthony Kitale), Bixente Otieno (Wazito);

Mabeki – Alphonce Omija (Gor Mahia), Tyson Omondi (Musingu High), Collins Shichenje (AFC Leopards), Boniface Onyango (Kariobangi Sharks), Alvin Ochieng (Kisumu All Stars), Brian Wepo (Nzoia Sugar), Hassan Mwinyi (Ebwali High), Mohammed Kazungu (St Peters Mumias), Boniface Mwangemi (Dagoreti High), Yussuf Boya (Sunflower Secondary), Arnold Onyango (Mathare United), Vincent Oluoch (St Anthony Kitale), John Otieno (Kakamega Homeboyz), Tom Teka (Kariobangi Sharks);

Viungo – Joshua Nyatini (Wazito FC), Fidel Origa (Western Stima), Musa Masika (Wazito FC), John Njuguna (Ulinzi Stars), Peter Oudo (Kariobangi Sharks), Zablon Kutera (Dagoretti High), Nelson Amunga (Kisumu All Stars), Steve Otieno (Kisumu All Stars), Dedan Wafula Simiyu (Soy United), Stainer Musasia (FC Talanta), Keith Imbali (Gor Mahia Youth), Patrick Munyao (FC Talanta), Issa Lumumba (St Anthony Kitale), Richard Odada (Red Star Belgrade), Andre Kalama (Ligi Ndogo), Ben Stanley (Migori Youth), Clinton Okoth (Migori Youth)

Washambuliaji – Selassie Otieno (Chemelil Sugar), Jacob Onyango (St Anthony Kitale), Benson Omala (Western Stima), Patrick Ngunyi (Kariobangi Sharks), Atem Kato (St Peters Mumias), Chris Owino (FC Talanta), Derrick Omondi (Wazito) Ronald Shichenje (Aspire Academy)